Monday, June 15, 2009

Guest Interview with Shelley Munro

Today I have a special guest, Shelley Munro. Author or so many books in my own personal library that I just had to have her over to celebrate her newest release.

Thanks for stopping by today, Shelley. Oh, and for all who comment, Shelley will be giving away a free copy of her release. So tell your friends and yack, yack, yack...

Tell us about your new book out now:

Thanks for inviting me to visit today, Catherine. Make That Man Mine is my new release, and it’s out at Ellora’s Cave on 15 June. Funnily enough it’s a story featuring one of my favorite type of heroes—a shifter. Jack Sullivan is a taniwha. Most of you probably haven’t heard of a taniwha before, but it’s a creature from Maori mythology, a kind of a serpent/dragon. In some tales, a taniwha is a terrible wife-stealing creature who eats people and breaks canoes. In other tales, a taniwha is a benevolent creature who brings good luck to a tribe. Legend says that a taniwha lives at every bend in a river. They also live in lakes and by the seaside.

My taniwha Jack Sullivan works for George Taniwha & Sons, a private investigator. Secretary Emma Montrose has lusted after Jack from afar for a long time, and she’s finally decided it’s time to make him aware of her interest. Jack is one alpha man who is about to meet his match!

Here’s the blurb:

On her 25th birthday Emma Montrose decides it’s time to show bad boy investigator, Jack Sullivan she’s more than an efficient secretary. She’s a woman with needs, and she wants him.Jack is a taniwha, a shifter, who requires women to satiate the sexual demands of the serpent within. Nothing more. Then work forces the reluctant Jack and ecstatic Emma undercover as a couple. Thrown together, pretence and reality blur generating hot sex laced with risk…

And here’s a short except from the start of the book where his boss informs Jack he’s going to have a new partner for his upcoming case.

“Okay,” he conceded. “I guess a partner might help. Who’s available? Hone? Billy?”George made a choking sound, merriment dancing across his lined face as he stuck his feet up on his desk.

Jack bounded upright and paced the length of the room, trying to work off the agitation that thrummed through his body. He paused to stare out the window, his mind taking in the yachts that zigzagged across blue waters of Auckland Harbor. Jack turned away from the window and stalked across the room to drop into the chair opposite George. He kept his expression neutral despite the amusement that still simmered across his boss’s face. “You’d better let me in on the joke.”

“You can partner up with Hone or Billy, if you want,” George said. “But you might want to consider the special circumstances.”“What circumstances?” Jack bit out. Man, he had a hot date with Melissa tonight. Good, hot, sweaty, no-strings sex. He didn’t have time for this crap. “Either Hone or Billy. I’m not fussy.”

“I guess you can take Hone. Or Billy,” George mused. “Of course, you’d have to share a room. And a bed.” He shook his grizzled head. “Two taniwha in the same room. Add in a blue moon and things might get a mite ugly.”

Fuck. Jack sent a hard glare at his boss. Trapped as neat as an eel in a net. Jack shuffled through the range of possibilities and came up blank. “Who is she?” he gritted out.

“A new operative.”

Great. Just bloody great. Not only was he being forced to take a female partner, he was getting a raw beginner. Jack didn’t trust himself to speak so he firmed his mouth, folded his arms across his chest and scowled his displeasure.

“I’m teaming you with Emma Montrose.”

“Your secretary?” Jack heard disbelief in his voice but thought he managed to keep his panic to himself. What the hell did a secretary know about investigating a case? What about the danger? To both of them. They would have to share a room for God’s sake. Jack refused to let his mind dwell on Emma’s sexy legs…or the rest of her body.

“Emma’s capable of assisting you on this case.”

“Assign me another case.” Spending time alone with Emma was enough to give a man ideas. Jack wasn’t interested in anything but sex. No relationships for him. Been there. Done that. Chucked away the T-shirt.

How do you respond when someone says.... "Oh, you write THAT kind of book?"

Um…I usually think up a great response about four hours later! Actually I’m fairly open about the type of book I write. I don’t fit the profile of a person who writes THAT kind of book, not the one that most people have in their heads at any rate, and they usually stare at me in stunned shock when I tell them I write erotic romance.

I did hear about one woman who went around telling everyone that I wrote porn. One of my writer friends knew her and told the woman that she also wrote romance. The woman then insulted my friend and sneered about Mills & Boon stories. Sometimes you just can’t win and it’s best to just laugh off the comments. I mean I make money writing THAT kind of book. I’m happy, and that’s all that counts.

What are your goals as a writer?

I want to keep learning and trying new things, challenging myself to improve my writing. I want to keep enjoying the process and definitely don’t want to get to the stage of burnout where the writing is forced and becomes a chore. Like most writers, I’d like to sell more books and gain a larger audience, but my main goal is to continue enjoying what I do without the stress of too many deadlines.

How many books do you read a month?

It depends on my writing schedule. If I’m busy with writing, my reading suffers, although I always read before I go to sleep at night. That said I usually read ten – twenty books a month. I read a lot because I think it’s one of the best ways of research for a writer and also for keeping up with the market.

Do you have anything new in the works?

Always! I have more books in my Middlemarch Mates series underway. Ambar’s story (a new character introduced in CatNap) and the twins’ story, which readers have been demanding for ages. I also have a paranormal/sci-fi book I’ve just subbed to my editor, a historical underway and the glimmer of a contemporary series in my head, ready to pour out. I always have more ideas than time. A good way to be, I think!

If you have any questions about writing or my books, please feel free to ask. I’d also like to give away a download of Make That Man Mine to one commenter. I’ll get Catherine to choose the winner for me tomorrow. Thanks for visiting!

Hi, Shelley and Catherine! Thanks for the interview! Congrats on Make That Man Mine! I definitely enjoyed the excerpt! I love the variety of characters and places I can visit in books--looking forward to getting to know some taniwhas next! ;)

Emma - thank you. Yes, this one is a little steamy. It's funny about Catherine saying I write hot because I still remember writing my first love scene and looking over my shoulder even though it was only me and the dog in the house. That was for my first book to send to Harlequin. A few years passed, and I became used to writing those very quick love scenes.

Several of my friends were writing for Ellora's Cave by this stage. I had no problem reading the steamier books. In fact I enjoyed them. Writing them, however, was a bit of an adventure. I wrote the story and skipped the love scenes, deciding I'd go back and write them. That was actually harder because I had to write all the love scenes at once. Yes...well... When I look back they were very innocent little love scenes. I find it much easier and a lot of fun these days!!

First I'd like to say I loved your excerpt and now want a copy of that book!

And I am amazed at how we think the same way about writing. I do it because I enjoy it. I am one person who can not write under pressure or by demand. I write when the muse guides me. I would be horrible with planned deadlines and subject matter.

Shelley and Catherine, great interview! I'd never heard of a taniwha shifter either, but it sounds fascinating. I can't wait to read this one and to catch up on your backlist, Shelley. Best of luck! :)

Ohhh yeah... I love it when all my yacking, along with a wonderful author to promo, gets such a great response. I'll be putting all the names in a hat about 9 AM California time on the 16th and have my 10 year old pick one as a winner of Shelley's latest release. I'm not much of a morning person... and I'm not drawing names at midnight... LOL... Besides, Shelley's home town is half way accross the globe... I have to give her friends a chance at a free read.

Thanks again for eveyone stoppin' by and thank you Shelley for a wonderful interview.

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Welcome!

New York Times bestselling author Catherine Bybee was raised in Washington State, but after graduating from high school, she moved to Southern California with hopes of becoming a movie star. After growing bored with waiting tables, she returned to school and became a registered nurse, spending most of her career in urban emergency rooms. She now writes full-time and has penned the Not Quite series as well as the Weekday Brides series.